


Unmasked Truths

by CouchNinja



Series: Miraculous Ladybug: Facades Series [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adult Adrien and Marinette, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fighting past trauma, Lonely Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Master Fu is an amazing old man, POV Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Secrets of the past are revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26122018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CouchNinja/pseuds/CouchNinja
Summary: The past returns to haunt an Adult Adrien. He has changed a lot since his teen years, but there are some things he can't move past.How will he overcome this? What secrets lie hidden, waiting to shatter his world? And how does this strange, old man fit into all of this?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Miraculous Ladybug: Facades Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825879
Comments: 35
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> Welcome back to anyone who has read my story Facades. I know I said I probably wouldn't add anything to the story, but here we are! Inspiration struck, and I just had to put this out there. It's basically just a really long epilogue, but I like it. It fills in some holes and is just fun to read. Although, I am a little biased.
> 
> To anyone who might not have read the precursor to this story, welcome! Feel free to go back and read that. I mean, I won't force you or anything, but it's pretty good, and it will help this make a tad bit more sense.
> 
> If you haven't read Facade or if it's been a while since you have, here is a basic recap:  
> After Adrien's mother died of a stroke, his father started abusing him - physically and mentally. This caused Adrien to don a bad-boy, uncaring, selfish facade, and he drew into himself. When he was fifteen, he found the miraculous and decided to use this new mask as his freedom. Later, a school project and a play drove Marinette - a typical good-girl - and Adrien together against their wishes. But, Marinette ended up showing him that is was okay to feel and to let down his facade. Eventually, Gabriel was arrested for child abuse, Adrien started dating Marinette and was adopted my Miss Bustier, Hawkmoth disappeared, and Adrien moved on with his life....
> 
> Until now....

Lightning cracked overhead. Rain started to pour down, scattering the progression.

Adrien stood in the rain, staring at the ground where the coffin had just been laid. He didn’t care about the rain. He found relief from his emotional and mental turmoil as the cold water splashed against him, soaking him to the bone.

He lifted the drenched funeral program. The ink had started running, but he could still make out the picture on the cover. He had hated standing for that picture. He could still feel his father’s body pressed behind him, that steel grip tightened on his shoulder. He hadn’t dared pretend anything was wrong in front of the photographer. But his stomach had been in a knot throughout the whole event.

Unfortunately, that was the most recent, professional picture of his father. Apart from the mug shot taken for prison. But that wouldn’t have gone over well with the funeral attendees.

No. The entire service had to revolve around how great this man was. How he had been so successful. How good he had been at his job. How he had motivated people to follow their passions and grow in the fashion industry. How many jobs he had made for people with his work.

No. No one dared bring up anything negative about the man at his funeral.

Adrien was absolutely astounded by his father’s wealthy friends. After fourteen years, they had still managed to hold a positive image of the man. They completely ignored the fact that he had spent that time in prison.

No. He was a good man. Someone Adrien should be proud to be the related to.

Every time someone approached him and said something along the lines of “Your father would be proud of you” or “You’ve done such a great man proud” or “You’re turning out just as great and successful of you father”, he want to spear his eardrums with a rusty pen so he didn’t have to hear it again.

The funeral had been very elegant. Just like his father would have wanted it. Adrien had forgotten how much he hated being all fancy. He had been tempted to show up in ripped jeans and a graphic T-shirt just to piss off all the rich, fashion gurus present. But Marinette had told him to be nice and behave, so he wore the appropriate attire.

The service could have rivaled that of a medieval lord. The fancy wording of the eulogy went over most people’s heads. It was solely to make the man sound greater than he was, which really wasn’t that hard to do given his personality. 

The clearly faked emotional responses amused Adrien. So typical. No one actually cared. They were just there because he was a fellow rich businessman, and they wanted to meet up with others like him. It had nothing to do with the man himself.

Adrien hated how many people had come, pretending they knew who his father was. They couldn’t possibly grasp what he was really like. They didn’t want to. He would have rather it been a small, private event. It would have felt more fitting. But no. Even in death, his father still had things his way.

Adrien felt a small weight rest on his shoulder. He glanced down to see Plagg resting there.

“You okay, kid?”

Adrien shrugged, almost throwing the kwami off by accident.

“Very convincing,” the kwami replied.

Adrien sighed. “I don’t know what I feel, Plagg. He’s dead. How am I supposed to feel?”

“Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” Plagg screamed.

Adrien snorted then shook his head at his kwami’s reply. “Yeah. I don’t think that’s right.”

“Well, it is for me. He got what he had coming for him.”

“Maybe so. But he was… is still my father. He was the last biological relative I had.”

“Human emotions are weird,” Plagg huffed. “They make my head hurt. You should just eat cheese and be done with it. I’m getting tired of sitting in the rain.”

“You don’t have to stay here with me then.”

Plagg flew into his human’s coat pocket, snuggling into its warmth even though it was soaking wet. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Adrien stood there, staring at the ground. He felt numbed to everything. He didn’t think it had quite sunk in yet. He wasn’t sure he wanted it too.

He couldn’t get over the fact that his father was still being this much of a thorn in his side even when he wasn’t around. It was ridiculous. For months, he had been planning a trip with his fiancé and the newly married Alya and Nino. But nope. Instead, he was here. At a funeral. Listening to a bunch of people he didn’t know spread lies about someone he didn’t want to hear about. Just his luck.

There was a bright flash of lightning overhead followed by a thunderous boom. He felt Plagg jump in his coat, but he was too out of it to be fazed. A bomb could have probably gone off next to him, and he would have just keep staring.

Suddenly, he stopped feeling the water pelt down on him. The storm hadn’t stopped. In fact, he could see it getting heavier. So why….

He turned to see Marinette holding an umbrella over both of them. She smiled at him sadly. He returned it.

“Talk to me,” she said.

Adrien turned his gaze back to his father’s resting place. He said nothing.

“Hey.” Marinette grasped his hand. He looked at their intertwined fingers, rubbing hers with his own. He traced over the engagement ring she wore. It had been his mothers. He liked seeing it on his Lady.

“Don’t hold it in,” she continued. “Talk to me.”

Adrien took a deep breath. He had gotten better at that over the years. He opened up about a lot of things in his life – current and past. But this. Being here. Thinking about his father. He found it hard to say anything. All he wanted to do was put on a mask of indifference and block out every emotion known to man.

But he knew he shouldn’t do that.

After some time, he finally responded. “I’m sad.”

“That’s understandable,” Marinette replied. She rubbed his arm comfortingly. “I couldn’t even imagine.”

“But I feel like I’m not supposed to be sad. I feel like I should be glad he’s gone. That he can’t possibly hurt me or anyone else ever again.”

Marinette stood there in silence. She didn’t know what to say. There really wasn’t anything to say. Sometimes, it was best just to listen.

“I’m mad,” Adrien continued. “I’m mad over all the things he did to me. I’m mad that people think he was some great guy. I’m mad that I don’t feel better now that he’s gone.”

Adrien couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears streaming down his face. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was both.

“And I’m mad at myself. For never visiting him. I thought about it. A lot. But I never did. I couldn’t face him. I couldn’t make myself. But now, I wish I had. I don’t know what would have happened. It might have made everything worse. I’ll never know. But at least I could have known I said goodbye. I could have shown him that I’ve changed and see if prison had miraculously done the same to him.”

They stood in silence for a while, staring at the ground and listening to the storm around them.

Finally, Adrien took a deep breath and wiped his face with his sleeve. Not that this dried it off since his coat was drenched already. Adrien stood tall and wrapped his arm around his fiancé’s waist.

“Come on. Let’s go back to the hotel.”

Together, the two walked towards their lone car under the black umbrella.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, Adrien hasn't seen a miraculous box in a long time. He hasn't take his ring off since he was fifteen, so he hasn't had a need for one. That's why he doesn't recognize it.
> 
> Anyway, hope you like this next chapter.

Adrien looked up at the mansion before him. It looked so menacing and lonely in its desolate state. Cold shivers ran down his spine. He didn’t want to be here.

The Agreste mansion had been deserted for a while now. After Gabriel was sent to prison, the staff was let off. Since no one else came to claim it, it had remained empty. Untouched. Eerily looking over the surrounding area. Casting its shadow on anyone who dared approach.

Adrien hated this building. He wanted nothing to do with it. That’s why he hadn’t claimed it when he came of age. He knew it would be passed to him eventually, but he had thought that was a problem for later. 

But later was now.

Adrien reached his hand out towards the gate. His hand stopped. He didn’t want to go inside. He wanted to go back to his loving home. This wasn’t a loving place. This was a dark place he had escaped from all that time ago, and every fiber of his being screamed at him to run and escape from it again.

“Open it,” Plagg said.

Adrien didn’t move.

“Just open it.”

Adrien flexed his fingers, but he still didn’t open it. He was trying. He really was. But his mind was trying so hard to protect him from what was inside that he couldn’t do it. He was too scared of what he might face. What hidden, forgotten darkness might emerge to haunt him and break all the progress he had made over the years.

“Have you forgotten how to open it?”

He knew it was stupid. There wasn’t a real threat inside. Not anymore. But his subconscious didn’t know that. It associated coming here with pain and fear. The back of his mind could formulate all kinds of new and irrational things that could harm him inside.

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Plagg zipped through the gate lock, forcing it to open.

Adrien sighed. “Thanks, Plagg”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, kid.”

Adrien forced himself forward, closing the gate behind him. One step at a time, he walked up to the front door. Memories flooded through his mind, but he shoved them back. He didn’t have time for that. Now that he was in, he just wanted to get this over with and get out.

He opened the front door and stepped inside. His footsteps echoed through the empty room. It made his skin crawl.

One by one, he went through the rooms, searching for anything he might want. He didn’t want any of it really, but it was expected of him to look. Thankfully, a lot of it had already been cleared by previous staff or the bank. That left very little for him to deal with, which greatly diminished his time there.

It was strange seeing the mansion so deserted. Not that he had seen that many people were around him when he had been living there. It was a large place, and his father liked his privacy. And Adrien had avoided people as much as possible in his teen years. But at least he had known they were there. Now, he knew he was completely alone here. It was unnerving.

Dust lay over everything. Cobwebs adorned every surface imaginable. He felt like he was walking through a haunted house. 

To him, it was.

He walked into his room, taking a shaky breath. For a brief moment, he thought about calling Marinette to come be with him. He didn’t want to be alone. He hated being alone. But he knew she was on some online meeting at their hotel room. He didn’t quite understand what she was doing, but he could tell by the way she spoke about it that it was important. She already had to do it over the computer after he dragged her across the Atlantic. He wasn’t going to make her miss it completely.

He looked around the room. There might be nothing there at the moment, but he could still vividly picture everything. He could see himself going around this room all those years ago. He could feel the things that had happened here. 

He walked over to the window and traced his fingers over the frame. This was the only thing he had a positive response to. These windows were a symbol of his escape and momentary freedom. Of his hope. Of him pushing past his problems and learning to be good. To be a hero.

He quickly scanned the rest of the room. Everything that had truly been his was already taken when he moved out. All that remained were some pieces of furniture and decorations his father had placed there. He didn’t want those.

He walked out the door and crossed to the other end of the upstairs portion. He stopped at the door. His body wouldn’t move. 

This was his father’s room. He had been forbidden from entering. 

He had done so once right after his mother’s passing. He had had a nightmare and wanted consolement. He got a black eye instead. He had completely avoided the room since. Especially if he knew his father was inside. 

But he wasn’t anymore. So, he would be fine, right?

So why was his heart pounding in his ears? Why did he feel paralyzed? Why would his fingers not twist the doorknob?

He knew he had to go in there. If there was anything he would want, it would probably be in there. Who knows what his father had been hiding in that dark and mysterious chamber. 

But he couldn’t do it. He hated himself for it. He felt weak. But he really couldn’t do it. He shook his head, trying to fight his own mind. It was no use. He felt tears brimming in his eyes. He had to. He just had to. He had to know what was in there. He was consciously sending signals to his hand to move. He was screaming at himself. But he just couldn’t do it.

Adrien watched as Plagg flew through the door. He waited for it to open, but it didn’t. He stood there staring at the door for a while. Was Plagg trying to get him to follow? Surely, the kwami would have taunted him before entering the room if that were the case. So, what was he doing?

Just as Adrien opened his mouth to call his kwami, something slid under the door. Plagg materialized in front of him.

“That’s the only thing you’d want. There’s no big secrets to discover. You’re welcome.”

Adrien bent over and picked up the picture. It was of him and his parents, smiling as a happy family. He was just a baby. He couldn’t remember what they were all so happy about. But he was glad to know it had been that way at some point.

He looked at his kwami, emotions threatening to overtake him. “Thank you, Plagg.”

The black creature rolled its eyes and hovered away. “I already told you you’re welcome.”

Adrien shook his head and descended the staircase. He turned to the right. This was his dad’s study. The last room. Now this one, he had to go in. This was the only room that had something he wanted. At least, he hoped it was still there.

He stepped inside and looked to the wall. Sure enough, the painting of his mother was still there. He walked towards it, scanning it. She was so beautiful. Inside and out. He saw why this was his father’s favorite picture of her. It perfectly portrayed her spirit as well as he physical appearance.

He grasped both sides of the frame in his hands and lifted it off the wall. To his surprise, it caught on one side. It appeared to be bolted. That was odd. Why would it be connected on only one side? With some shifting, he was able to get it off, revealing a safe behind it.

Adrien eyed it. Huh. Never knew about that. What was so important that he had to lock it in a secret safe?

“Plagg?” he called.

“Ohhh finally. You’re actually asking me to pick a lock for you. Embrace the darkness.” Plagg sniffled, acting like an emotional and proud parent. “I always knew you would make me proud.”

“Shut up and open it.”

Plagg disappeared, and there was a slight click as the safe unlocked. Adrien pulled it open.

He scanned the shelves. There were some pictures of his mother. One looked like her as a bride. Adrien hadn’t seen that one before. She was beautiful. There were some awards and certificated from his father’s career as well as a diploma. A few books and trinkets were from travels around the globe. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Except….

Adrien grabbed two small, octagonal boxes. There was something about them that made the hairs on his neck stand up, but he couldn’t figure out why. He opened them.

One held a broach that looked like a butterfly. Another looked like a peacock broach. They were very fancy. He knew he had seen them somewhere before, but where? Oh well. It was probably in a picture or something.

Adrien took out his backpack. He slid the contents of the safe and the picture Plagg had fetched from his father’s room inside it. Carefully, he zipped it up and slung it over his shoulder.

He closed the safe and leaned the portrait of his mother against the wall before walking towards the exit of the mansion. As he went, he texted the executor in charge of the estate and everything on it. He told the man he wanted that painting. Anything else, the man could do what he pleased with.

Adrien ran to the gate and pushed through it. He turned, taking one last look at his childhood… home? No. It hadn’t felt like a home after his mother died. Residence was a better word for it.

He locked the gate and walked to his car, hoping to never come back again.


	3. Chapter Three

“What have you got there?” Marinette asked as she laid her head on Adrien’s shoulder.

“It’s a book I found that used to belong to my dad. I found it when I went through everything.”

Marinette reached over the airplane armrest, making a grabby motion with her hand. It was so cute when she did that. Adrien handed the book to her, and she pulled it into her lap. She started flipping through the pages. 

Suddenly, she sat up, surprise crossing her face. She turned to her fiancé.

“These are miraculous holders.”

Adrien leaned over and looked at the picture. Sure enough, there was a girl wearing the fox miraculous. He mentally slapped himself. How could he have not noticed that yet?

He grabbed the book back, turning the pages to see what else they contained. “Why did my father have this?”

“I don’t know,” Marinette replied. “It’s definitely worth looking into.”

Adrien nodded. “I will. Once we get back home, I’ll look over everything in more detail.”

Marinette leaned her head on his shoulder once again, and he rested his head on top of hers. He could feel her falling asleep. He wasn’t going to follow though. His mind was going a million miles per hour.

His father had a miraculous book. That was odd. He recalled his father’s response to finding out about his miraculous. How he had tried to take it away, saying Adrien didn’t deserve it so he would use it himself. He must have really wanted a miraculous. That wasn’t surprising. He was a power-hungry man.

Adrien’s eyes widened. Those boxes. He knew they were familiar. They looked the same as the box his ring had come in. He hadn’t looked at the box in so long he had nearly forgotten. 

But… did that mean….

Adrien flipped through the pages of the book in his lap. He quickly found a drawing of a lady with a peacock broach just like the one in the box. He read what the book said.

Apparently, it allowed the wearer to create sentimonsters, creatures manifested from a person’s emotions. This was achieved by turning a feather from the fan – the weapon the wielder received – into an amok. The amok was sent to inhabit an object belonging to the recipient. The sentimonster would obey whoever possessed its amok. The wielder could also develop a telepathic connection with their target and sense where the amok was.

Huh. So, basically female Hawkmoth with feathers. Got it.

He flipped some more until he found the butterfly brooch. He began to read.

The butterfly, or moth, miraculous gave the wielder a cane. The wielder energizes a butterfly, turning it into an… akuma….

Hold up. The butterfly miraculous and the moth miraculous were the same thing? If that was the case, that meant….

Everything began to align itself in Adrien’s mind. The protectiveness his father had for his study and everything inside. The way he rarely left the house. The way all akumatizations would stop whenever he went out of town and restart the second he returned. The way they stopped for good the same time his father was sent to prison. The look in his father’s eyes as he had reached for his ring….

Adrien’s breath quickened. His heart pounded. His head was spinning. 

His dad had been Hawkmoth? This whole time, his nemesis had been… his abuser? 

Suddenly, the beatings he took as Chat Noir had a whole other meaning. 

Adrien felt acid rising up his throat. It was sickening to think about. He had never been free from his father. He snuck out under the cover of his miraculous only to be attacked by the man in another form. He was completely controlled by this man for so long. And there had been nothing he could do to stop it.

Adrien stood up, causing Marinette to jolt awake. She looked at him worriedly. “Adrien? Are you….”

Too late. He was already half-way toward the bathroom. As soon as he reached it, he fell to his knees and retched into the toilet.

“Oh my gosh, Adrien.” Marinette was right behind him, rubbing circles on his back. “Do you need me to get you anything?”

“A new lineage.”

Marinette furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand.”

Adrien shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Adrien, come on. Don’t do this.”

“I said, I don’t want to talk about it.”

And he didn’t. He wanted to forget he ever learned it. He had been perfectly content not knowing what had happened to Hawkmoth. He had been better off not knowing. This just made everything worse. He already had mixed feeling about the man, but adding this to the matter didn’t helping a single thing.

He wanted to shut it out. He wanted to shut everything out. He had been trying so hard not to. He knew it wasn’t healthy in the long run. It hurt himself and the people around him. But at that moment, he didn’t care. He just wanted to stop getting hurt. He wanted to be past all this.  
But as he felt that old façade rising up, providing fake protection for the hurt he was feeling and pushing away emotion rather than dealing with it, he realized he wasn’t past it.

He wanted to go back in time a few weeks when none of this had happened yet. When he was oblivious and happy. Why couldn’t the universe have let him stay that way? Was it really that much to ask? He guessed it was when it came to his sorry self.

He rinsed his mouth out with water from the sink. Then, he flushed his vomit and washed himself up. He turned, brushed past a worried Marinette, and strode back to his seat. Leaning his head against the cool glass window, he let the feeling ease his growing headache and calm his nerves in the process.

Marinette sat down beside him, but she didn’t say anything. Adrien wouldn’t have cared if she did. He didn’t want to hear anything. She would just tell him to open up. Normally, that was good advice. It was good advice now. He just wasn’t going to listen to it.

He was acting foolishly. He was acting like his old teenage self. It was stupid. He could see it. He could see this road going horribly wrong, and he knew that it was a thousand times harder to get off this path than it was to step onto it. But, he didn’t care. He wanted to feel numb, and he wanted to wallow in his own pitiful existence.

Why was it so easy for him to fall back into his old habits? He had worked so hard on them. He had started his life anew. He had changed. So why could he not move past this? It was infuriating. He hated himself for it.

Why was it so easy for his world to fall apart?


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to post the next chapter. My bad. My schedule has gotten crazy. Hope it's worth the wait.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I tried to make it as realistic as possible. I might be way off, but I did my best.

“Well, well, well. Look who the dog dragged back.”

“Cat,” Adrien corrected as he walked into the locker room. “The saying goes, what the cat dragged in.”

“Yeah, but I like dogs better, you know?”

Typical Samuel. Samuel Jones was a fellow third-year surgical resident at Saint Matthew’s Teaching Hospital. He was always so relaxed and fun to be around. Adrien loved having this guy as a coworker. They balanced each other out. Their such diverse views of the world due to the different environments they were raised in made for a great combination.

Samuel had spent his whole life on a farm in Virginia. He had grown up with a big, happy family. He had never lived fancy or been forced into the prim and proper world Adrien was raised in. Adrien envied him. He always talked about how great things had been growing up.

But fate had somehow brought them together, and Adrien was glad it had. This man was the best guy friend he had ever had. Well, maybe apart from Nino. But that was different. Either way, he couldn’t image how he would have made it here without Samuel. They had practically dragged each other through studying and med school. But they both made it.

Adrien didn’t reply to his friend as he changed. He wasn’t really in the mood. Physically and mentally, he was drained after trying to stop blocking everything out. He wanted to open up and get everything out. He couldn’t stand how it was affecting his life. His relationship with Marinette. But he was struggling.

“Weren’t you supposed to be on vacation with your girl right now?” Samuel asked.

Adrien nodded. He kept his back turned to his friend. “I was. But I had to go to Paris for my dad’s funeral, so that didn’t work out.”

Adrien could feel the sympathetic look his friend was giving him. He was glad he couldn’t see it.

“I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I could do, just let me know.”

Adrien smirked. “Start making good jokes?”

“Oh ha ha. Yeah. Not happening.” Samuel paused. “You know, you can take time off.”

“And do what?”

“To grieve or whatever. Burn incense. Sit in the dark for ten days. Dance around a fire while chanting. I don’t know what you French people do.”

Adrien eyed the man in amusement. “That’s exactly what we do.”

Samuel snapped his fingers, his smirk growing larger. “I knew it.”

As the joking moment passed, he grew more somber. “But seriously.” Samuel placed his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “Don’t feel like you have to be here. Do whatever you need to do. I know you two had a… complicated relationship. Take all the time you need to sort everything out.”

Adrien shook his head. “Thanks, but no. I need to be here. I need normality. Everything makes sense here. I need something that makes sense. Something I know. Something I can control.”

Samuel shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Adrien opened the folder on the upcoming surgery. It was a coronary artery bypass. Looking over the man’s file, Adrien didn’t think it would be anything too extraordinary or overly complicated. The man didn’t have a record of major health problems. He seemed to be extremely healthy. Everything was fairly normal….

“What in the world?”

Samuel walked over to him. “What is it?”

Adrien flipped the folder around so his coworker could see. “He’s two hundred years old.”

Samuel’s eyes widened. “What? That’s impossible. That doesn’t make any sense.” He grabbed the folder and examined it closely. “And yet it is.”

“How could somebody live this long?”

“I don’t know. He must have a really healthy lifestyle. Either that or he was an immortal being from a distant land. Or maybe he was abducted by aliens.” 

“Maybe he was an alien.”

“Or like a superhero god.”

They prepared for the surgery. They washed themselves thoroughly, put on their masks and caps, washed themselves again, slipped on their surgical gowns, and pulled on their gloves. They prepared to watch the head surgeon and help when necessary. Since they were still residents, they couldn’t perform it themselves yet. But that was why there were at a teaching hospital.

The nurses brought the patient in, preparing him for the operation. He was a very short, Asian man. He looked ancient, which made sense considering he was. He looked like that old sage you would talk to on a chest. Or the stranger on the street that gave you critical life advice out of nowhere.

Samuel leaned towards Adrien and whispered towards his ear. “I swear, if this guy wakes up and starts speaking backwards about the force, Imma lose my mind.”

Soon, they started the operation. The surgery went well. There were no complications. The lead surgeon cut down the sternum and opened the rib cage. A nurse stopped the heart and turned on the heart-lung machine. The blood circulated through the body without a problem. A healthy blood vessel was detached from the chest wall. 

The surgeon was about to begin reattaching one end above the blocked artery when a voice came over to intercom.

“GSW. Doctor Chambers requests one of your resident’s join him.”

Adrien and Samuel looked at each other.

“You go,” Samuel said. “You’re better than I am at the serious stuff. I’ll stick with Yoda.”

Adrien turned and rushed out. He stripped off the surgical protection and quickly walked to the next room over. Then, he went through the entire preparation process again, and he entered the new operating room.

As he stepped into this new, hectic environment, his mind shifted. This operation was nothing like the calm one next door, so it required a whole different level of thinking. By the time he reached the table, he was completely focused on the young man with a bullet in his chest. The old man next door was completely forgotten.

After a long and tiring shift, Adrien finally left the hospital and drove to his apartment. He fixed himself a meal and sat down to watch the news.

It was strange being here alone. Since he and Marinette shared the place, this was a rarity. 

But Marinette had met up with Alya and Nino for the latter half of their group vacation. She had offered to stay with Adrien, but he told her to go ahead. She deserved the break. Besides, he had wanted to be alone. 

He hoped he would be able to sort everything out over the next few days and then return to his normal behavior when she returned to him. He knew his closed off actions were hurting her, but he didn’t know what else to do. How was he supposed to express what was going on inside his head? How was he supposed to tell her that his parents had been miraculous holders and, oh yeah, his father had been their number one enemy for years? Yeah. That would be a great conversation.

But for now, he just sat on his bed, eating a microwavable frozen dinner and trying to find an escape from reality through a cringy soap drama.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry my updates are so random and far apart. I have no schedule at this point. I've tried, but I can barely keep track of the days, much less which day's I should post.
> 
> Anyway, hope you like the chapter!

Adrien’s feet hit the pavement at a steady rhythm as he coursed down the sidewalk. He felt great on this morning run. It was his favorite part of the day. He loved the free feeling of running. He loved watching the world go on around him.

It reminded him of his time as Chat Noir. It was a bittersweet feeling as he had stopped transforming into his alter ego a while back. He kept the ring on just because of Plagg. He couldn’t imagine his life without the little kwami. But there was no longer a need for him to go full-blown superhero.

After he left Paris, it would have been odd for him to continue doing so. It just didn’t fit with his new, busy life. He had started his Chat Noir journey to help people, and now he was accomplishing that through his job. He didn’t feel the need to dress up for it. He didn’t need the superhero identity mask. He preferred the surgical one.

Adrien turned a corner and continued on his running route. Even though he enjoyed his new life, he still craved the rush he got on the patrols or in the fights. That’s why he started running. It was a way for him to keep that up, stay in shape, and clear his head when need be. A win-win all around.

And today was one of those days he needed to clear his head. He and Marinette had gotten in a fight that morning. He was still keeping to himself, and she was not having it. He understood why. And he wanted to fix it. Not for his sake, but for hers. But he still didn’t know how.

Anger coursed through his veins, causing him to speed up. This was all his father’s fault. If he had just been a decent human being and not a sick, power-hungry lunatic, Adrien wouldn’t have been like this. He wouldn’t have these problems. He would be happy and content and open like a normal human being and process his emotions.

But that wasn’t how it turned out. Instead, his life was still controlled by a dead man. He couldn’t get him out of his head. Two months later, and he still couldn’t get over it. 

He was torn. He wanted to put the past behind him. After all, that’s what you were supposed to do. 

But he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t until he sorted out the whole Hawkmoth situation rattling around inside his skull. But he couldn’t do that until he told Marinette. 

How was he supposed to tell her that? He knew he was overreacting. Everything would be fine between them if he just dropped his walls and opened up. But there was this voice in the back of his mind telling him it wouldn’t be. Telling him that she would leave him because she would think he would end up like his father.

That’s what everyone from his old life kept telling him. That he was turning into the successful heir his father had always wanted. That he had finally sorted out whatever phase he went through as a teenager and found the path that brought the Agreste name honor. He felt sick every time someone said that.

He never wanted to be anything like his father. But could he control that? What if it was genetic? What if it had been implanted into his mind from exposure, and he was doomed to turn into the standard Agreste man?

Adrien came to a halt and plopped himself onto a bench. He leaned over heavily, trying to catch his breath. His mind ran wild as he sat there. He hated it. He hated everything about this whole situation.

He wished he could go back and stop himself from finding the miraculous. That would make everything better. 

He looked at the ring on his finger. He decided he hated it too. It had never been his. It was a lie. He had thought it freed him, but his father still managed to control his actions when he was transformed. He still had to fight his father, never really winning. Would he have ever won? He would never know. And that somehow made it even worse.

It made him feel weak and useless. It made him feel like he could never accomplish anything. He tried to tell himself those were lies, but were they? He still couldn’t get past something he couldn’t control. He was driving himself insane and pushing away the people he cared about in the process. He was useless. He couldn’t do anything on his own.

It seemed he would never escape the darkness his father put him in.

“Young sir. May I sit with you?”

Adrien lifted his head to see an old man with a cane standing in front of him. “Of course,” he replied. He prepared to stand and leave. “My apologies. I’ll get out of your way.”

The man plopped himself onto the bench, holding up his hand in the process. “No need. Just needed to sit. I’m not as young as I used to be.”

Adrien leaned back onto the bench. He concentrated on the man beside him. There was something familiar about him. He had seen that face. But where. He couldn’t place it. 

Then, the old man scratched at his chest absentmindedly. Adrien’s eyes widened as he realized why he recognized him.

“Hey. You’re Mister Fu, aren’t you. You had a coronary artery bypass about two months ago.”

The man smiled at him. “Indeed. How did you know that?”

“I was there. Well, for part of it. I got called out. How are you doing? Healing well? No complications with recovery?”

It was a rarity for him to see and recognize one of the patients after they left the hospital. It was always nice when he did though. There was something about seeing them alive and well that was so satisfying. Knowing he had been there as someone’s life was saved or bettered. There was nothing else like it.

Mister Fu nodded. “I am. My chest pain is gone, and my breathing has greatly improved. My doctor says I am healthy and can live many more years at my rate.”

Adrien shook his head in amazement, recalling the man’s age from the hospital chart. “How have you lived so long? What’s your secret? It’s a miracle.”

The man hummed, nodding his head in agreement. “It is definitely miraculous.” He chuckled to himself is if recalling an inside joke. To be fair, anyone his age would have a whole lot of inside jokes to laugh about.

He turned to Adrien, his expression turning serious. He pointed his finger at the young man. “You want my secret?”

Adrien nodded earnestly.

“I tell you. Listen close now.”

Adrien leaned in in anticipation. He didn’t know what to expect or whether he should believe the man or not. But he was very curious what the man would say.

Fu looked him dead in the eye and said, “Vegetables.”

They stared at each other a few moments before broke into large grins.

“Of course,” Adrien replied. “My medical textbooks clearly missed that benefit.”

Mister Fu held up his finger. “And the special tea?”

“Wow. My books really aren’t complete. I should clearly come learn from you.”

“Indeed. There are a lot of simple things that go overlooked by serious doctors. Overcomplicating everything. I see you are not one of them.”

Adrien knew exactly what he was talking about. There were so many herbal and natural remedies that people overlooked. He had seen firsthand that some people in his field dismissed them. He didn’t. He didn’t care what methods were used as long as they worked.

“You have a good sense of humor too. Nothing like that father of yours. Very good to see you are different.”

Adrien stared at the man in shock. Had he just…? What?

“You knew my father?”

Mister Fu looked at him like he had asked what two plus two equaled. “Of course.”

Adrien shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t believe it. He literally couldn’t escape his father.

Fu hopped off the bench. “I am ashamed of my choice in him. But I am glad I chose you. You have proven yourself a worthy miraculous holder.” He bowed his head and walked away.

Adrien sat there for a moment. His mind was blank. He couldn’t process anything. Where had that come from? He had just wanted a normal conversation with a previous patient. But this man knew his father? And knew about the miraculouses?

Adrien stood up and hurried after the old man.


	6. Chapter Six

“Wait! Mister Fu!”

Adrien caught up to the man. They continued to walk side by side. Adrien didn’t know where to start. What was he supposed to say? He had so many questions that he needed answered. Which one should he ask first?

“Spit it out. I cannot read minds, believe it or not.”

Adrien blurted out the first question he could formulate into a coherent thought. “What do you mean by chose?”

“Exactly what I said. I chose you. I am glad I did. I chose your mother. I am glad I did. I chose your father. If I saw him today, I would smack him with my cane.”

Adrien nodded his head at that last part. Plagg would love this man. “I still don’t understand though. I found my miraculous in the locker room in my school. It was just lying there.”

“You think things magically come out of nowhere? Someone had to put it there.”

“And that was you?”

“I thought that was clear by now.” Mister Fu made a sharp turn around a corner. Adrien kept walking in a straight line until he realized he was alone. He scanned the area, quickly located the man, and scrambled to catch up to him.

“But why? I don’t understand. Why would someone ever pick me? Especially back then.”

“Are you the same boy you were at fifteen when you first became Chat Noir?”

“Well…. No….”

He knew he wasn’t the same person. But he wasn’t an entirely different person either. As he kept being reminded, it was very easy for him to fall into his old patterns. He kept being controlled by the past. The fact that his own job ended up bringing him someone this connected to his past had to prove something.

Mister Fu continued. “Then why did it matter who you were when you got it as long as you became the person you needed to be?”

“Well… I suppose it doesn’t.”

“Correct. Your father was the proof of that.”

“Why would you give him a miraculous? If you know as much as you seem to, you know how he treated me. How he treated everyone. Why would you let him have the miraculous if you knew what he was like?”

It made Adrien enraged to think about. If Hawkmoth had shown up after Chat Noir, that meant he must have gotten the miraculous after him. That meant he was already a man using his power in the wrong way when he received even more, unnatural power. What purpose would he have had for a miraculous besides evil? There was no possible, positive outcome in that situation.

“Your thinking is flawed. He did not receive his after you.”

Adrien stared at the man is shock. Had he said that out loud? He thought that was only in his head.

“You might have been good at hiding your emotions and thoughts from the world for a very long time, but you cannot hide it from me now. And it is not mind reading. It is body language.”

Oh.

“As you know,” the man began to explain. “I have been around for a very long time. I am what you call a guardian of the miraculouses. It is my job to keep them safe and give them to the worthy. When your parents were young, there were some… problems. I won’t bore you with the details. That would take too long. But, people needed hope and heroes who could control the situation. I saw great potential in two love birds. They were successful and strong and full of positive emotions. I gave them the butterfly and peacock miraculouses. They did what they were supposed to do, bringing balance and peace. When I tried to get the miraculouses back, they refused. I left it be for the time being since they seemed like good people.”

“So, my parents were like their generation’s Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“Precisely. And everything went smoothly for a while. Your parents did nothing harmful with their miraculouses. Unfortunately, your mother died. That sent your father into a downward spiral.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Tell me. What would you do if your Ladybug died?”

Adrien stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn’t even imagine. He would lose himself. He would go insane. He would probably seek for any way to bring her back….

“My father….”

“Yes.”

“He just wanted my mom back, didn’t he?”

“Yes. As you probably know from that miraculous book I don’t doubt you found, the combined power of the cat and ladybug miraculouses grants the wielder a wish. Any wish. Once you and Ladybug started running around, your father saw an opportunity. He didn’t care what it took. He threw away all morals and honor, and he used his power for evil in a desperate attempt to get her back.”

“Wow.”

Just when he had thought his feelings about his father couldn’t get more complicated. He still hated the man for his crimes against Paris and for all the things he had done to him. But he felt sympathetic as well, understanding how loneliness can drive someone to do crazy things. After all, just look at his teenage years.

“But why me? Why did you give me of all people the miraculous when you did?”

“Again. I saw potential in you. I knew trouble would arise. And I knew you could do great things if you could be freed from your father’s grasp.” Mister Fu stopped in front an apartment complex. “It is time for us to part ways. We both have our busy lives to return to. If you ever need me, my room is 225 B.” He gave a slight bow to the young man. “It has been good seeing who you turned into. You continue to make me proud.”

Adrien bowed back. “Thank you. That means a lot. And thank you for everything you have taught me today.”

Adrien watched as the man entered the building. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. He glanced at his watch. Shoot. He was going to be late to work if he didn’t get moving. He quickly ran back to his apartment. Once there, he showered, changed, grabbed a breakfast bar, and drove to the hospital.

He arrived just in time. He ran into the locker room and found Samuel.

“Dude, I thought for sure you weren’t going to make it,” his friend said.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Adrien replied. He shoved his things into his locker and head out for his shift, Samuel right beside him.

“Your Lady keep you or something?” Samuel asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Adrien chuckled as he shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. I went for a run and ran into someone. Someone who gave me a lot to think about.”

“Huh. Anybody I know? I could use some words of wisdom about a few things.”

“Actually, yeah. Remember that two-hundred-year-old guy who had a coronary artery bypass a little while back?”

Samuel’s jaw dropped. “You saw Yoda? Please, please, please tell me he spoke backwards. Or made really cringy old man jokes.”

Adrien laughed. “He spoke like a regular guy. But he did tell me his secret to a long and healthy life.”

Samuel grabbed his arm. “You have got to tell me. I want to be immortal. That man is my role model.”

Adrien looked his coworker in the eyes the same way the man had done to him. “Vegetables. And tea.”

Samuel glared at his friend, causing Adrien to laugh. He walked away, leaving his friend behind.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've personally struggled with opening up to people for a long time. I'll get in a mindset where it's nearly impossible on a physical level. When I snap out of it, there isn't some grand process I go through or some over-the-top emotional release. It's not even a conscious choice. It's just like a switch flips off, and suddenly I want to talk again. That's what I wrote for Adrien. I'm sure there are a lot of different ways people can go through that process, but I wanted to write what I personally know.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

After work that day, Adrien went back to his apartment. Marinette wasn’t home yet. He went about his business, hoping she would return soon.

He couldn’t get what Mister Fu had said out of his mind. About his parents being miraculous holders. About why Hawkmoth had done what he did. It was all a lot to take in. He found himself wanting to talk to Marinette about it….

He wanted to talk about it. He smiled to himself at the realization. He had been fighting himself for so long, keeping everything inside. He didn’t know how to handle everything. But his conversation with Fu had somehow changed it. Maybe he had just needed someone to lay everything out for him in a new light.

Adrien suddenly felt even more guilty for shutting Marinette out like he had. He knew it had hurt her. She had tried to pretend everything was normal, but she had eventually given up on that. Then, they had gradually started fighting more. He hated fighting with her, but he hadn’t known anything else to do. He just couldn’t bring himself to open up. In order to talk, he had to sort through everything on his own enough to vocalize it. That had seemed so daunting that he just didn’t do it. 

But now, he was ready. He just hoped she would be willing to listen.

As he waited for her to come home, he went to the closet and pulled out the two miraculous boxes his parents had owned. He looked at them. It was so odd to think they had lived in the same way he and Mari were now. Having so much power that they used to wield but putting it away to move on in their lives.

He frowned as he remembered something Mister Fu had said. ‘When I tried to get the miraculouses back, they refused.’ That bothered him. If he had wanted them back, they should have surrendered them. So why didn’t they? And did the man want his and Marinette’s too?

He glanced at his watch. He figured his fiancé was eating with some of her friends or coworkers. He should have enough time to leave and come back. He shoved the two miraculous boxes into his pocket and went to the car. 

Soon enough, he found himself in front of Fu’s door. He knocked. There was some shuffling inside before the door opened.

When the old man saw who it was, he looked at Adrien curiously. “Cannot stay away? It cannot be my charm. You must have questions. Come in.” He opened the door further and gestured inside.

Adrien held up his hands. “Thank you, sir, but this won’t take long. I have to get home soon. Just one second.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the boxes. He extended his hand, offering them to the man. “I brought you my parents’ miraculouses. You had said you wanted them. I figured I would do what they wouldn’t.”

The man squinted at him, deep in thought. That had not been what Adrien had expected. He had expected the guardian to hastily snatch back his precious miraculouses.

The man turned and beckoned Adrien inside once more, claiming it would not take long. Adrien obeyed this time. Fu disappeared into another room, but he soon returned with a large, wooden box.

“This is the guardian box,” Fu said. “It contains all the remaining miraculouses. Apart from the ones you and your Ladybug have.” He placed it on a table. Fu held out his hand, and Adrien gave him the moth and peacock boxes. The guardian slipped them into their designated places in the larger box.

Fu sighed. “I am growing old. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t intend on dying any time soon. But I am not as fit as I used to be. I am no longer capable of protecting this as a guardian should.” He picked up the box and held it out to young man. “I want you to have this.”

Adrien’s eyes grew wide, and he held up his hands in protest. “No. I couldn’t. You wouldn’t want me to….”

“And why not, hmm? You have proven yourself time and time again. You and your Ladybug have shown that you are worthy and capable of this task. You have pure hearts with good intentions. And most importantly, I have seen you will not use this power for evil. In your darkest time, you helped people even when you couldn’t help yourself. That is how I know you can handle this.” Fu placed the box in Adrien’s hands. He began to push him out the door before he could protest any further. “I will not take no as an answer. And I believe you have a special Lady to get home to. If you have any questions, I am sure the two of you can figure it out on your own.”

With that, the door was slammed in Adrien’s face. 

He stood there, completely shocked as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He decided that was a problem for the future. He could sort it all out with Marinette later. Right now, he just needed to get home and clear the air between them.

He quickly reached his apartment, unlocked the door, and walked into his home.

“Hey, Mari! You back yet?” 

Adrien closed the door behind him. He walked through the house, looking for his fiancé. He found her in the kitchen. After he placed the large box on the counter, he walked towards her. She was fidgeting awkwardly. That wasn’t like her. He frowned. How bad had he messed things up between them for her to act like this?

Marinette sighed. “Okay. We have been going at this for a while now. I get it. Everything that has happened has been hard for you. I tried to give you your space at first. Just giving you support like I’ve always done and wait for it to pass. But this is getting out of hand. We are soon going to vow to spend the rest of our lives together. I can’t stand for that to go up flames. We need to be able to talk to each other. We need to help each other move past the hard parts of life. We… I need this to work out, now more than ever. So please, right now, talk to me, or I….”

“My dad was Hawkmoth,” Adrien blurted out. He decided it was best to rip the bandaid off quickly.

Marinette’s eyes widened. She kept tilting her head, deep in thought. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish. Finally, she said, “That actually explains a lot.”

“I know, right.”

“And you couldn’t tell me this before now…. Why?”

Adrien sat in the chair beside her. “I don’t know. I didn’t know what to think. I still don’t. Everything is so confusing, and it’s happening so fast in such strange ways.”

Marinette placed her hand on his. She smiled at him gently. “Talk me through it.”

Adrien sighed, thinking through how to word it. “Well, I found the miraculouses when I searched the house. I figured out he was Hawkmoth on the plane back, but I just couldn’t handle it. I shut everything out, as you saw. But today, I talked to this guy named Fu….”

Marinette’s face lit up. “You saw Master Fu? He’s here? Where? Can I see him? Oh, I love that man.”

Adrien started at her. “You knew him? This whole time?”

“Well, yeah. He handed me my miraculous. Just like he did you.”

“No. No, he left mine in a locker room.”

“Oh. Well, he gave me mine. Anyway. Continue.”

Adrien shook his head, getting himself back on point. “Right. He broke everything down for me about my parents and about us and why Hawkmoth showed up when he did. He did it for my mother, you know. He wanted to bring her back. Like, I just… I can’t. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about any of this.”

“Good thing you don’t have to figure it out on your own. We can learn to handle crazy, changing emotions together.”

Adrien looked at his Lady. Her smile. Her eyes. They were his home. He was so glad she was with him. He couldn’t imagine losing her. She was his everything. She was his home. As long as he had her, everything would be okay. She would always be his light, pulling him out of his old habits and forcing him to be a better person.

“So, what’s in the box?” Marinette asked.

“Oh. I almost forgot about that.” Adrien reached behind him and grabbed it, placing it in Marinette’s lap. “Apparently, Fu didn’t want to be the guardian anymore. So, we now hold all of the miraculouses.”

“What? No. You’re serious?”

Adrien nodded.

“This is insane!” She opened it up. Her finders grazed over a few of the miraculouses. “Oh. My. Goodness. This is crazy.” She looked up at her future husband smiling. “I can’t believe he trusted us with this. It can be our own family secret kind of thing. This is incredible.”

Adrien smiled. Her excitement was contagious. Even though he was still skeptical over the whole thing himself, he knew she would always guide him. “Yeah. I guess it can be. Once we have one.”

Marinette bit her lip as if she was hiding something. She gazed into his eyes, a smirk spreading across her face. “Well, it’s a good thing we’ve already started.”

It was. They would soon be married. That was a great start to things. And soon enough, they could start having kids, and… why was she holding her stomach like that? And what was that smirk for? What….

Adrien’s mind came to a screeching halt. All the blatantly obvious signs were there, and they were finally clicking together in his head. His eyeballs nearly shot out of his skull, and his jaw fell to the floor. Marinette’s smile widened as she knew it had sunk in.

“You’re pregnant?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like the ending, haha. Anyway, one more chapter to go.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooo sorry it took so long to put this last chapter up. Oh my goodness, I feel bad so. My schedule got crazy, and this got lost in my list of things to do.
> 
> I really like this chapter from a narrative point of view. It really takes this epilogue story full circle.
> 
> Hope this ending is worth the long wait! Big thanks to everyone who read it! You guys are awesome!

It was dark overhead. Rain threatened to pour down on the Parisian cemetery.

Adrien stood in front of Gabriel Agreste’s tombstone, just as he had all that time ago.

He and Marinette were now happily married. Their first child, Emma Caline Agreste, had been born a few months ago. Now that Marinette and the baby were ready to travel, she had insisted they return to Paris. She wanted to show off her beautiful daughter to everyone they had grown up with.

To satisfy her, Adrien had obliged. He could have cared less what everyone thought. They hadn’t cared about him in his teen years, so why would he want to show them his daughter? And why would he put the little light of his life in harm’s way by traveling half-way across the world on a plane? She could get sick. Or the plane could crash. Or there could be some attack from… someone…. 

Okay. Maybe he was a little overprotective. But his girl deserved it.

Adrien had panicked after finding out he was going to be a father. What if he messed up? How was he supposed to care for a kid? They weren’t even officially married at the time. He still wasn’t done with his surgical residency. He hadn’t been expecting this yet. Sure, he had wanted it one day, but he hadn’t expected that day to be so soon. 

What if he couldn’t provide? That was silly. He knew his and Mari’s salaries would be more than enough. But he couldn’t help the paranoia.

What if he wasn’t ready to be a parent? Scratch that. He knew he wasn’t ready to be a parent. If this entire debacle over his return to old habits proved anything, he needed more time to grow and better himself before he could even think about being a good enough influence on a child. His child. But he didn’t have more time. He would just have to do his best and grow with his family.

Every morning, he vowed to himself to be a better father than his had been. He would never harm his daughter, no matter what he himself was going through. He would always make sure she was happy. He would always make sure she was protected. He would ensure she felt safe with him. He would always be there for her, willing to listen and help. He didn’t want her feeling like she had to keep anything secret from him.

He would spend as much time with her as he could, even if it was just over small things. He wanted to be a part of her life in every way possible, teaching her everything he could. He would help her with school. He would help her with any hobbies she wanted to learn. He wouldn’t force any on her, of course, but he would support anything she decided. He hoped she would like to sing. He would love to teach her that, bonding with his daughter over the same thing he that had drawn him so close to her mother.

He was nervous about his daughter growing older. What would happen when she learned her parents had been superheroes? He didn’t want her running around in danger like they had done in their teens. And since they had all the remaining miraculouses in their house, it would be easy for her to do so. But that was a problem for later. Emma couldn’t even walk yet, so there was no need to worry about her running across the rooftops.

Adrien smiled to himself as he recalled the first time he saw his daughter. He had been so stressed through the entire labor process. His mind kept going to worst-case-scenarios he had read about in med school. He kept trying to calm Marinette – he realized later it had been more for himself than her – with statistics and instructions he knew. His Lady had not been very receptive of this however, so he would force himself to shut up for a few moments before babbling once again.

But the moment he saw Emma, he felt something shift inside of him. He knew it would be okay. It wouldn’t be easy. There would be a lot of bumps along the road. But it would all work out for the best. It had to, for this beautiful little princess’s sake.

Holding her in his arms, he knew he would have to be better himself. From now on, he couldn’t shove people out of his life if he was going through something. That would harm his daughter. He knew all about that from personal experience. He would never let her go through that pain. 

He promised to himself that he would work on every aspect of his behavior, making himself the best he could be for her. He wouldn’t be perfect. He was only human, after all. But he would be the best father he could be.

Adrien and Marinette had delayed their wedding until after Emma was born. They had both agreed that they wanted their daughter to be a part of it. Marinette had also complained about not wanting to look giant in her wedding dress, but Adrien thought she would have been the most beautiful bride no matter what.

And he was right. When Marinette walked down the aisle towards him, the rest of the world faded away. He couldn’t believe that he had ended up there with such an amazing, talented, and breath-taking woman. Yet, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. He couldn’t believe he almost pushed her away. Thank goodness she was so amazing. That all those years ago, she had seen through his ridiculous, tough, violent façade and had made him realize he could be himself. And that she had stuck with him ever since.

It had been a small ceremony. Marinette’s parents had been there, Tom walking his daughter down the aisle and Sabine holding her granddaughter. Beside them, Caline Bustier smiled up at her adopted son. Of course, Alya was Marinette’s maiden of honor, and Nino had been Adrien’s best man. Some of Marinette’s closest coworkers had come, and Samuel had come for him.

It had been perfect. Neither one of them would have wanted it any different. Besides, they didn’t care about fancy things or tons of people. They just wanted to be with each other and share the life-changing moment with those closest to their hearts.

Adrien jumped as he heard a distant boom of thunder. He felt that familiar pressure on his shoulder.

“You know,” Plagg began. “It looks like it’s about to storm. You should probably get inside.”

Adrien nodded his head slowly. “Yeah. I know. I will. Just give me a minute.”

Plagg paused. “Whatever you say.”

Adrien stared at the grave in front of him. It was odd being here now. His entire view on the world had changed. Most importantly, his view on his father had changed. That’s why he was here. He needed closure. Real closure.

“Can you give me a minute, Plagg?”

The kwami hesitated. After a few moments, he replied. “If that’s what you need.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

“Okay.” Plagg lifted off of his shoulder and zipped behind him. Adrien was sure he had gone to Mari and Emma, who were waiting by the car.

Adrien took a deep breath as he thought to himself. Once he had gathered his thoughts, he spoke.

“I still hate you for what you did to me. I understand you were in pain, but so was I. We could have gotten through it together, not added to each other’s misery. But it’s too late for that now. With that said, I forgive you. I don’t want to hold a grudge. I can’t have that hanging over my head anymore. I need to move forward as a changed man. So, I forgive you. In fact, I thank you. For making me stronger. I wouldn’t be who I am now if it wasn’t for you. It might be hard at times, but I wouldn’t trade my life for anything. Anyway, I just wanted to say, you don’t control me anymore. I’m living for my own family now, and I’m not going to let a bitter memory of you corrupt that. So, I forgive you. And, goodbye, Dad.”

Adrien felt a weight lift off of him as he turned away. He knew it was foolish, but that had been exactly what he needed. It meant he could completely move on.

He turned to see Marinette gazing fondly at him from a distance, Emma playing with her hair as she was held in her mother’s arms.

As he reached them, a breach of sunlight broke through the clouds, lighting up the world around the small family. He smiled to himself as he leaned over and kissed his wife.

Together, the three settled themselves in the car and drove away.


End file.
